Merck is expanding its Singapore laboratory to strengthen analytical and biosafety testing services for customers across the Asia Pacific region. Biosafety testing is a step in the drug development and manufacturing process, helping to ensure that biologics are safe, effective and compliant with regulatory requirements.
The expansion builds on Merck’s global testing expertise of more than 75 years and marks a milestone in providing a local contract testing services portfolio for the region’s growing biopharma industry.
“Localizing these BioReliance testing capabilities means our Asia Pacific biopharma customers can accelerate their development timelines, improve operational efficiency, and meet evolving regulatory and sustainability standards” said Paolo Carli, Head of Advanced Solutions for the Life Science business of Merck. “This investment underscores Merck’s commitment to empowering medicine makers by providing industry-leading analytical and biosafety testing services and technical expertise.”
Merck’s Singapore laboratory will become the first BioReliance facility in Asia-Pacific to offer both Cell Line Characterization services and GMP next-generation sequencing (NGS) capabilities. It will also offer molecular methods including Blazar®, a proprietary platform for rapid virus detection.
The expanded facility aims to support the industry’s move towards quality control testing of biologics and 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement of animal use) through molecular methods.
“Merck’s expansion of the BioReliance lab will bring world-class and next-generation testing services to biopharmaceutical companies in Singapore and the region. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Merck to strengthen Singapore’s ecosystem, build new capabilities within our local workforce, and enable the delivery of innovative therapies to patients,” said Goh Wan Yee, Senior Vice President and Head of Healthcare, Singapore Economic Development Board.
The Singapore BioReliance® lab was opened in 2018, and the expansion will bring the total lab area to over 1,000 square metres. The expansion is also a step in Merck’s broader strategy to support the region’s life science ecosystem and drive scientific progress.